Crossing Boundaries
by Burst.ofSILENCE
Summary: Tenten & Neji. Neji & Tenten. Two people who feel as if they're more than just friends. She wants nothing more than to cross that invisible boundary. He wants nothing more than to be by her side forever. This is their story. AU NejiTen Full summary inside
1. New School, New People, Same Best Friend

_****__Summary: Neji and Tenten. Tenten and Neji. Two people who have been best friends since time immemorial. Now seniors, the two are still as inseparable as ever. Thirteen years they have stuck together, no secrets, no lies. Well, except for one. They both harbor deeper feelings for each other. Although their relationship already runs deeper than any friendship, they still put up that invisible boundary, in fear of losing the other as a close companion. This year, Tenten wishes to step across that borderline before it's too late._

**_Pairings: NejiTen, ShikaTema, SasuSaku, NaruHina, KibaIno_**

**_Yo. I have, like, a million plots stuck in my head. So I decided to write it out before I explode. Anyway, this story's set in an AU. Neji, Tenten, Temari, and Shikamaru are seniors. And the rest of the gang are juniors. So without further ado, I give you Crossing Boundaries._**

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**_--Crossing Boundaries--_**

**_Chapter 1 - New School, New People, Same Best Friend_**

'I wonder how this year will turn up. . .'

"Tenten. ."

_'. . .Will I make any new friends?'_

". .Tenten. ."

_'. . .Will I be made fun of or picked on or--'_

"Tenten!!"

"Huh?" The brunette snapped out of her daze and looked around at her surroundings. Cream leather seats, seatbelt, black dashboard. She took all of this in as realization dawned on her.

'_Oh, that's right. I'm riding with Neji to school.' _The girl thought

"Something wrong?" The boy beside her asked. "You looked a little out of it there."

"I'm fine, Neji. Just thinking." She said, looking at her best friend before looking out the window to presume her thoughts.

"Hn." Neji looked at her in concern before turning back to the road. Tenten sighed, pulling at one of the Chinese buns on her head.

What she just said was half lie, half truth. She really was thinking, but she wasn't fine at all. Ever since she woke up this morning, her mind has been revolving around one thing.

_School. . ._

_'Dang, I'm going to be the new girl again.' _The girl thought exasperatedly.

_'It wouldn't be that bad would it? I mean, Neji was the new guy there last year and it didn't seem like he had a hard time fitting in. . .Okay, I have to admit, the guy could fit in ANYWHERE with his good looks. He even had a fan club in our last school.'_ Tenten snickered at her own thoughts which made the boy beside her look at her strangely. She only replied with a shy smile and looked at the passing trees before going back to her trail of thought.

_"I'm just glad I got away from those brainless bimbos. But then again, knowing Neji, he probably has fangirls here too. God, why are all fangirls big idiots? Can't they take the fact that they CAN'T be with that guy? Sigh. I guess it comes with being a born heartthrob eh Neji? Long brown hair and pale silver eyes can really do a number on a stupid fangirl these days'_ Tenten sighed.

She had a feeling that this was going to be a long year.

"Hey Neji, you sure I'm gonna fit in?" She asked him.

_'Well that sounded odd.' _The girl thought. _'Whatever happened to the uncaring me? I would usually care a whole lot less about what others thought about me. So why the freakin' hell am I caring NOW??'_

The Hyuuga beside her rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Ten. You'll fit in just fine." He assured her for what was the thirteenth time that morning.

But it didn't work. . .again. . .

"But what if I won't make any friends?! What if I get picked on?! What if I don't have any classes with you and I end up being ignored by everyone?!" She asked, getting frantic.

. . .To say that she was overreacting would have been an understatement.

Neji twitched at her little outburst. "Who the hell are you and what did you do to Tenten?" He asked sarcastically.

"Okay, okay. I know I'm blowing things out of proportion. I could've done without the sarcasm though. I'm not even sure why I'm acting like this." was the other teen's depressed reply as she slumped on her seat in the passenger side.

"Tenten, don't worry. I'm sure you'll make lots of friends. Besides, Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama are there too. You can always go with either of them during breaks. And I'll probably be with you in most of your classes. Everything will turn up fine. Come on, cheer up for me will you?" He told her. Tenten smiled.

_'Neji really was the only one who could cheer me up just like that.' _She thought.

If it was anyone else, they would have been surprised to hear the prodigy say something like that. To a girl nonetheless. But Neji and Tenten have known each other practically since time immemorial. They grew to trust each other with anything and everything.

"And I'm pretty sure you won't go unnoticed. Who knows, maybe you'll get yourself another fanclub." This time, the girl couldn't help but scowl at the prodigy's smirking face.

_'Way to ruin the moment there, Hyuuga.' _She mentally put out. Unfortunately for her, Neji wasn't the only one who had to avoid his fans back at their last school.

_'UGH. If there was anything that I hated more than Neji's fangirls, it would be those creepy stalkers.' _Tenten involuntarily shivered at the thought. Everyday there was the same. It was either being harassed by Neji's fangirls or being stalked by her own admirers. It spelled H-E-L-L for both of them, while it spelled D-O-O-M to anyone who came within a 10 feet radius when both Hyuuga Neji and Tenten were pissed.

"Thinking about your past run-ins with fans?" Neji's amused voice brought her out of her thoughts. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Good job Neji. Have a cookie." Neji rolled his eyes at this point. "I felt like I went through Hell when you and Hinata switched schools last year, you know. What pissed me off more was that my so-called best friend left me to get jumped by fanboys. Not to mention the fact that it was dead boring without you or Hinata around."

"Well then, I can already assure you that you won't be bored at all here." Tenten gave him a questioning glance.

"Hn. Do you remember Naruto and Sasuke?" She nodded.

"Of course, who would-- sorry, who _could _forget those two?" Both Neji and Tenten met the two a while back when they went to the same school. She had to admit, she really missed their antics. It was such a shame that they had to move three years ago.

_'Wait. Why is Neji talking about them all of a sudden...?! No way...!!'_

"They're _here_?" Neji nodded, hearing the happiness in her tone.

"Anyway, with Uchiha and Uzumaki's antics, running away from fans, and the drama High School brings, there won't be a day passing without something interesting happening." Tenten didn't know whether to be overjoyed because she'll be able to see Sasuke and Naruto again, or frustrated because of fangirls and possibly, fanboys. So she settled for a straight face

"I'll take your word for it." She said in a monotone voice. Neji seemed to notice her mixed emotions and laughed at her. Tenten smiled at the sound. Silence passed as they made their way through the streets.

"Tenten, look up." The girl did and saw one of the most amazing schools she has ever seen, and she's seen a lot. Now she knows why Hiashi made Neji and Hinata transfer here.

The school itself was surrounded by lots of trees. It looked like a huge clearing in the middle of the forest, although it's not. There were about 5 big buildings, an open field, a courtyard, and two parking lots, one for the teachers and one for the students.

Tenten said the first intelligent thing that came to mind.

"Whoa."

Okay, maybe not _that_ intelligent.

Neji chuckled at her awed expression. He parked at an empty space and turned off the engine.

"Do you plan on staring the whole day, or are you coming inside with me?" He asked once he was out of the car. This seemed to snap Tenten out of her reverie since she hastily got out, all the while bouncing up and down.

"Oh my God! This place is so cool!!" She said while looking around her surroundings. Neji smirked at her childish antics.

"Glad you think so. Come on. We still have to get you to the Principal's office. Preferably sometime this morning," He said, still smirking. "And in one piece."

"One piece? What do you mean?" She asked. He looked around, prompting her to follow as well.

What Tenten saw was very...varied, to say the least. Some students were also coming out of their cars, or just staying by the parking lot. Most of them were staring at the two in awe, but most of the girls were glaring in jealousy.

"If looks could kill..." Neji started.

"..I'd be buried six feet under by now, thank you very much." Tenten finished.

"Not really. But beware. Your fanbase starts growing right now." Like he said, there were some guys who were already checking her out. Tenten shuddered and grabbed Neji's hand.

"Shit. Let's go." She said as she hurried out the parking lot.

"Do you even know _where_ you're going?" He asked, still being pulled along.

"Actually, yes. Away from there. Before any of them start declaring any crappy lovey-dovey stuff like the ones last year."

They slowed down once they were out of the parking lot. Tenten let go of his hand and let him lead the way, since she's never been here before. On the way, they heard a really loud and irritating voice.

"Kyaa!! It's Uchiha Itachi-kun and Sasuke-kun!!" Tenten winced at the high pitched squeal.

"O. . kay. . . What the friggin' hell was that?" She asked as they walked along.

"Fangirls." Neji muttered. Tenten shuddered, having some bad experience with them.

"OMG!! Naru-kun!!" Another round of shrieks were heard.

"Please don't tell me they have rabies." She said while following Neji into the school.

"I can assure you that I have no idea if they do." Tenten managed to crack a smile at his joke. At the same time two blurs, a orange and a blue one, passed them. Followed by numerous girls.

"AHHH TEME!! RUN FASTER DAMMIT!!" They heard the orange blur scream

"I'M ALREADY RUNNING FASTER THAN YOU, DOBE!" was the irritated comeback of the blue blur.

"Were the two blurs that just passed us Sasuke and Naruto?" She asked him. He nodded wordlessly, but she could tell he was amused at the two who just passed.

"Poor them. Being chased around like that." She continued.

"Speak for yourself, Tenten. You might end up like that judging by the stares you're getting." Tenten groaned

"Ugh. Don't remind me." With that, they continued on their way. (Wow. The school must have been huge if they're still walking)

"The building on the right is the gym. The one on the left's the cafeteria. High school building, middle school building, extra curricular building and the open field." Neji told her while pointing to each of the buildings and/or facilities. As they walked, Tenten didn't miss the stares the students gave them, particularly her.

_'Okaay... Freaky. Some of them are giving me the "Hey. It's a new girl" stare, some are giving me the "Dude, she's hot" stare, with drool - ew, and almost all the girls are giving me the "What the hell is she doing with that hot guy!?" glare.' _She thought, reading the others' expressions like a book.

_'Great. I really hope Neji's wrong about the fanbase thing. But knowing him, it's true. What a messed up world this is. And it's still the first day.'_She thought as she walked in step beside Neji, trying to ignore the eyes that were on her.

Just as they were about to enter the high school building, Tenten heard multiple shrieks. She also heard someone say; "OMG!! It's Hyuuga Neji!!" followed by another round of shrieks.

"Shit. Just when I thought I could get through this morning without running into them." Neji muttered darkly. Tenten's eyes widened at his statement.

"Please don't tell me..." She trailed off

"Then I won't. But that doesn't mean that they're not coming." said the Hyuuga prodigy.

Out of nowhere, rabid fangirls suddenly started crowding them. Some were simply shrieking and some were raving on about Neji's apparently "hot" outfit. AKA, the school uniform. A simple white dress shirt with the school symbol stitched on the sleeve, black blazer which was currently slung on his shoulder, black pants, Black tie, and casual footwear. In Neji's case, white sneakers.

_'How predictably Neji. Wearing the EXACT SAME thing everyone else is wearing and yet girls STILL think he's hot. Tch.' _Tenten thought to herself. Fortunately for her, it seemed that the girls were too preoccupied with Neji to notice her. So for now, she's safe from being chased by the idiots, telling her to back off.

_'It's times like these that I appreciate their small, feeble fangirl minds.' _Suddenly, a high-pitched voice could be heard above the rest.

"Oh My Gosh Neji-kun!! You are so hot." A girl said. Tenten twitched and tried to contain her laughter.

_'Was that supposed to be seductive? 'Cause it sounded REALLY awkward due to her annoyingly high voice.'_She managed to control her laughter into a snicker. Neji heard it and smirked, which caused the fangirl to think that he was smirking at her. The fangirl tried to touch Neji but Neji rolled his eyes swatted her hand away. The girl fainted on the spot. Tenten just stared.

_'Who knew that someone could actually faint from simple hand contact? Whoa. Neji's like a drug to these brainless girls. Poor things...NOT.' _Neji sighed. Tenten looked at him.

"This happen often?" She asked.

"More than you know." Came his irritated mutter.

"Gee, what a whoop-dee-doo-dah-day. Any idea how to get out of here?"

"As a matter of fact..."

The white eyed boy - who was currently the object of the fangirls' affection, or rather, obsession - looked at one fangirl and walked up to her. The girl was practically giddy with excitement. Neji looked at her then caressed her face.

"Let us through?" He asked her in his deep voice. Tenten's jaw dropped.

Hyuuga Neji was flirting with the girl.

_'Oh. My. God. Hyuuga Neji just turned playboy on me. I have officially seen everything there is to see in life. Someone call the Devil and tell him Hell has officially frozen over. Twice.' _

The fangirl nodded silently and quickly obliged. Neji, who had enough of seeing their faces, started to move forward and out of the crowd. Tenten, on the other hand was still staring at the fangirls, her mouth still open. Neji seemed to notice this and pushed her jaw back up, then grabbed her hand to pull her with him away from his horde of fangirls.

"Ugh. I hate those girls." He said once they were out.

"Ahh, so you _were _faking it. I thought you turned playboy in the short span of roughly five minutes. I was almost going to smack you on the head and ask you where the real Neji was." She said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "But seriously--" She was cut off by the girl from a while ago who was screaming "OMG Neji-kun just touched me!!" at the top of her lungs.

"Idiots." Neji and Tenten mumbled at the same time. Tenten laughed openly as Neji let out a quiet chuckle.

"Oh my God. You have to FLIRT your way out of your FANGIRLS?" She asked as they made it to the High school building.

"Yeah. And from the looks of it, you're going to do a lot of flirting to save yourself too." Neji replied and turned his gaze outside. Tenten followed his amused gaze to the many boys who were looking at her intently. Tenten said the first intelligent thing that came to mind.

"Fudge." She muttered then turned back to the halls.

"Fudge indeed, Ten." She and Neji laughed at this.

"God, I missed you so much. Last year was so BORING without you around." Neji looked thoughtful then smiled a small smile at her.

"I have to admit, the previous year was uneventful without my best friend beside me, and that says a lot since I was with Naruto and Sasuke the whole year." Tenten smiled at him as they headed for the Principal's office.

So far, a lot has happened already. She rode in her best friend's totally awesome car; She saw Konoha Academy for the first time; People kept staring at her because she was apparently walking with one of the hottest guys in school; And she got surrounded by Neji's fans.

_'Not to mention my own fanbase that's probably gonna stalk me for the rest of the year. And it's still Monday morning too.' _Tenten sighed._'This is gonna be a heck of a year. At least Neji's here with me. I missed everything about him in school last year. It was such a bummer not to see or hear him in any of my classes last year.'_

Once they arrived at the Principal's Office, Tenten felt the familiar wave of anxiety overcome her again. Neji noticed this and put a hand to her shoulder, causing her to look up to him.

"Look. If it's bothering you this much, I'll go with you. I don't know what help that would be exactly but, I'll go with you." He flashed her a small smile to reassure her. Tenten smiled a grateful smile.

"I'd like that. Thanks."

**_Chapter 1 - End_**

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**_Well, how do you like the story so far? I know it kinda sucks but please bear with me. Review please! It would be a huge help! You know you want to ;)_**


	2. First Day Ups and Downs

_****__Summary: Neji and Tenten. Tenten and Neji. Two people who have been best friends since time immemorial. Now seniors, the two are still as inseparable as ever. Thirteen years they have stuck together, no secrets, no lies. Well, except for one. They both harbor deeper feelings for each other. Although their relationship already runs deeper than any friendship, they still put up that invisible boundary, in fear of losing the other as a close companion. This year, Tenten wishes to step across that borderline before it's too late._

**_Pairings: NejiTen, ShikaTema, SasuSaku, NaruHina, KibaIno_**

_**Heeeyy! Me again. Sorry if I updated late. It's my school's fault. Anyway. Thanks to those who reviewed!! Y'guys are awesome!! Well, here's the next chappie!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, I'd be filthy stinkin' rich. Sadly, I ain't.**_

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_That was basically the start of a really - and by really I mean REALLY - weird morning. Aside from the constant stares and glares, guys kept looking like they want to feel me up. Yuck. Anyway, I was really glad Neji was there though. I swear, he might be a chick-magnet, but he makes an awesome fan boy repellent. Haha. Don't tell him that though. He'll kill me. -sigh- I guess it's time to go on with the terribly crappy morning..._

Tenten stood in front of the door that read room 413, History: Hatake K, and gulped. Neji stood behind her.

"Are you just going to stand here all day?" He asked her. She didn't have to look behind her to know that he's smirking. She turned to scowl at him before returning to the door. Palms sweaty with anxiety, she slowly opened the door.

She wasn't exactly expecting what she saw.

The teacher was there, sure. But she didn't expect him to be reading something that...inappropriate...instead of teaching. Most of the kids were chatting instead of studying, some were even texting or listening to their ipods or even sleeping. That immediately changed the moment Neji and Tenten stepped through the door.

"Neji-kun!!" His fangirls squealed. Neji rolled his eyes as Tenten wrinkled her nose in disgust.

_'Stupid, moronic fan girls...'_ She thought. They immediately started coming forward but stopped upon seeing the girl beside their object of affection (or rather, obsession). They glared.

"Who are you!?" One of them screeched, earning the attention of the rest of the class. Almost instantly, most the guys started checking her out while Kakashi raised his head up from the book he was reading. Murmurs of who she was started going around the room.

"Ah, you're here. Hyuuga-kun, why were you late?" He asked Neji. Neji shrugged.

"I accompanied her to the Principal's Office, Kakashi-san." The glares of the fangirls intensified upon hearing that their crush helped someone who _wasn't _them. Tenten rolled her eyes at this while Kakashi's face lit up with recognition.

"Ah, yes. The new girl..." He said as he read the profile given to him. "You're Tenten, am I correct?" She nodded.

"And you're a Hyuuga?" Faces all mirroring shock were around her. Well, except for Neji's. Once Kakashi mentioned it, the whole class broke off into more heated whispers. Rumors were flying at every possible direction at a really fast rate.

"A Hyuuga!? She doesn't look like one..."

"Adopted maybe? Nah... Hyuugas are too uptight for that."

"Arranged marriage?" "It could happen..."

"Hey... You don't think..."

"That she and Neji are...!!"

Tenten quickly shook her head once she noticed almost every girl glare at her and pretty much every guy glare at Neji.

"Er- no, I'm not. The Hyuugas are my guardians, though I'm not officially adopted." She hastily said. The intensity of their glares and the rumors instantly died down. Tenten smiled slyly to herself.

_'Nevermind the fact that I'm TECHNICALLY a Hyuuga since they took me in. Nobody needs to know that.' _She thought. And judging from the smirk adorning Neji's face, he knew what she was thinking.

Kakashi nodded in understanding, trying to hide his amusement.

"Well, then. Why don't you introduce yourself?" She nodded and started off.

"Um, hi. I'm Tenten. I'm seventeen years old and I'm half-Chinese. I like pandas and weapons and I'm really into a lot of sports. I like music, too... And I guess that's it." Kakashi nodded again.

"Okay, Tenten. Do you have a guide to help you around the campus for the first few days?" In an instant, all the boy's faces lit up, finding this as an opportunity to be with their new crush. Unfortunately for them, Neji had to crush their hopes. (Excuse the pun. Never really noticed it 'til I read it again.)

"Actually Kakashi-san, Tsunade-sama asked me to be her guide." He said. His fan girls stood up to protest.

"But Neji-kun! You're busy enough as it is! What with being senior representative of the Student Council, one of our star players, and the senior year's prodigy!!" One of them spoke up. Neji and Tenten just stood there with Kakashi, faces composed but showing signs of irritation, confusion, and amusement respectively. The boys stood and agreed with his fangirls.

"Yeah Hyuuga! You have enough on your plate as it is! Why don't we take one off your back for 'ya?" One boy said. Tenten rolled her eyes in disgust and at their desperate acts. Apparently, Neji was unfazed.

"No, it's alright. We have almost exactly the same classes anyways." He said. Tenten's eyes lit up as everyone's protests died in their throats. They couldn't see a reason for Neji not to be her guide. They all sat down and hung their heads low in failure. Kakashi chuckled.

"Alright. Now that that's over, you two may take your seats. As for the rest of the class, get your head out of that state you call shame." The two friends complied and took their seats at the back of the class. As they walked to the back, they recieved stares, awe and jealousy alike.

"Okay kiddies. We have thirty minutes to go. Go do whatever you like." Kakashi said once they were seated. "Just don't interrupt my reading." He sat down on his desk and pulled out a book. Everyone started drifting off and returned to doing what they were doing before all the commotion started. Once they made sure nobody was really paying attention, Neji and Tenten started a conversation of their own.

"Why didn't you tell me you're the senior representative for the student council?" Tenten asked him. He just looked back innocently.

"I didn't think you'd be interested." She snorted at this point. "Besides, you were still adjusting when I was elected. I didn't want to add to the thoughts running that head of yours." He added, tapping her temple. She smiled at him.

"Okay, okay. But you better tell me these kinds of things next time! What kind of best friend would I be if I don't know what's happening to you?" He rolled his eyes.

"Ten, trust me. You know me better than anyone else. Hell, you'd know what I'd say even as I think about it. Thirteen years of friendship can do that to you." They both shared a soft knowing look. She smiled nostalgically at him.

"Yeah. It's a wonder how we've known each other that long." He gave her one of his rare genuine smiles.

"But I definitely wouldn't have it any other way."

**-xx-xx-xx-**

Tenten sighed as she sat on her seat at the back part of the classroom. It was fourth period. The period before lunch. And one of the only two periods Neji didn't have with her.

So far, it's been the same routine with her last classes: Introduce herself, people would gawk and glare at her, then they'd break into rumors once they find out she's _the _Hyuuga Neji's long-time best friend. After that, the teacher gets them to shut up so that they can continue with the lecture. But the students don't even pay attention anymore. So in the end, only the two of them would actually learn something while the rest of the class continues staring at them. She sighed again.

"Guess some things really will never change." She muttered. She then heard someone address her.

"Hey." Tenten looked behind her and saw a girl with teal eyes and dark blond hair tied into four ponytails.

"You're Hyuuga Neji's best friend, right?" She asked. Tenten looked at her.

_'Deja vu much? And I'm not talking about her question. Why do I get the feeling that I've seen her before?'_

"That depends. Are you a fan girl?" She asked, inwardly trying to remember who the girl was. The girl's lips twitched upwards as she replied.

"No. I'm not." Tenten grinned. _'Finally. Someone other than me and Hina-chan who ISN'T obsessed with him.'_

"Then yes. I am Hyuuga Neji's best friend."

"Would you have said 'no' if I said otherwise?" Tenten pretended to think for a few seconds.

"Nope!" She answered, a bright grin on her face. This time, the girl laughed outwardly.

"The name's Sabaku no Temari. And this lazy ass here" - she pointed to the sleeping boy beside her. "is Nara Shikamaru, also known as my best friend. We're friends of Neji's." Temari noticed that Shikamaru continued sleeping so she whacked him on the head.

"Oi, Shika!! Get your lazy ass up and say hi!" She told him. He muttered a short "Troublesome" before looking up.

"You're Hyuuga's friend, right?" Tenten nodded and began to look at the boy. He was pretty good-looking. He had dark brown eyes and an equally dark shade of hair - probably shoulder length - tied up in a tight ponytail. Silver earrings completed his look and added to his lazy bad boy image. Tenten had no doubts that - like Neji - he had a fan club. And considering that Temari said she was his best friend, she would have to face a ton of problems with his fans.

_'Perfect. Two people I can relate to.'_

"Hey Temari. Shikamaru. It's nice to meet you." She said, grinning. Temari smirked and then rolled her eyes at Shikamaru as he resumed sleeping. Tenten giggled. The blond looked at her.

"Hey, I know this might be weird but, have we met before? I'm having a serious deja vu moment right now..."

"I feel that way too..." Tenten said thoughtfully. Temari shrugged.

"Ah well, no sense in thinking about the past now. Hey, why don't you have lunch with us? We'd like to introduce you to the rest of the gang. Neji and Hinata would be there, too." Tenten nodded.

"Sure. Why not?"

"Awesome."

**-xx-xx-xx-**

"Ugh. I hate skirts." Tenten mumbled as she, Temari and Shikamaru walked towards their usual meeting place with the rest of the gang. Temari laughed.

"Be thankful the uniform's only worn during Mondays, then."

"I'm going to murder whoever thought of school uniforms." She said darkly. Temari only chuckled again.

"Given that he's still alive. Come on." She and Shikamaru led the way while Tenten followed close behind. As they crossed the campus, stares were evidently given as Tenten walked by. Loud conversations died into whispered rumors about the panda-haired girl. She rolled her eyes as she heard a particularly loud shriek of "_She's _friends with _my _Neji-kun!?" She snorted.

"Idiots. Leave our friendship alone, dammit. Don't make it into some freak controversy." They reached their usual spot a few minutes later - a tree at the far corner of the campus with a large green picnic table. There were already some kids there. Probably their other friends, Tenten thought.

As they went nearer, she could already distinguish their faces. Currently, there were two girls and seven guys. One of the girls - the one with blond hair and blue eyes - was chatting non-stop with Naruto who was sitting on one of the benches of the picnic table. The one with pink hair seemed to be sleeping, her head on the shoulder of Sasuke who was sitting on the base of the tree.

The rest of the guys were strewn about, doing their own thing. There was one kid with shaggy brown hair and dark eyes who was talking to a boy with dark hair and sunglasses. He seemed to have a small dog beside him. Beside them, a chubby boy with reddish brown hair sat and ate loudly. On the table, a kid with brown hair and brown eyes and purple make-up sat with a red head who had sea green eyes.

"Hey guys." Temari said once they were in front of them. They all gave her their undivided attention. Well, aside from the pinkette who was still sleeping. "I want you to meet--"

"--Tenten-nee-chan!! It's really you!!" Naruto yelled. Instantly, all eyes were on her as Naruto bounded up and tackled her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Naruto...Can't...Breathe..." She managed to say. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Dobe. Let her go. She's turning purple for God's sake." He said. Naruto let go and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Ah, sorry Tenten-nee-chan. I got over excited dattebayo..." Tenten only grinned at him.

"It's okay. It's great to see you again! You too, Sasuke." Sasuke only smirked at her. She rolled her eyes.

"Still a man of a thousand words, I see." This time, it was Sasuke who rolled his eyes.

"You hang around Hyuuga too much. That's the exact same thing he did and said to me when he and his cousin first came here." She laughed.

"Are you sure I'm the one who hangs around him too much, and not the other way around?" Their conversation was soon interrupted by the blond girl.

"Ne, ne, Sasuke-kun. Naruto-kun. Who's this?" Naruto grinned.

"This is Tenten-nee-chan!! She's Neji-senpai's best friend." The blonde's eyes widened.

"You're Neji-senpai's best friend!?" She screeched, causing everyone in the vicinity to look at her, and the sleeping girl to stir. Sasuke glared at the blond

"Damn it, Ino. You could be a little quieter." He said, earning a wide-eyed stare from Tenten.

_'Oh. My. God. Uchiha Sasuke actually showed that he cares. The world is ending.' _It was then that she noticed a familiar necklace hanging around the girl's neck. She grinned.

_'Then again, maybe not. So you actually found her, Uchiha.'_

The rosette finally woke up and sat up, greeting everyone with a "Good morning!" before she looked at Tenten.

"Um, no offense but, may I know who you are?" Tenten smiled at her.

"You know, you're the first person to actually ask me politely." She then turned to the Uchiha. "I don't even know her name yet but I like your friend already, Uchiha." Sasuke rolled his eyes. The pink-haired girl turned to him with a confused look on her face.

"Sasuke-kun?" She asked.

"Sakura, this is Tenten. She's an old friend of the the dobe and mine." Sakura nodded and mouthed "o".

"Nice to meet you Tenten! I'm Haruno Sakura." She said, smiling sweetly. Tenten grinned.

"Hey Sakura! It's so nice to finally meet Sasuke's childhood friend." Sakura's brows furrowed.

"How did you know I'm Sasuke-kun's childhood friend?" Tenten shrugged.

"I didn't at first. But that-" She pointed to her necklace "-gave it away. I always knew you'd find her, Uchiha." Sakura smiled as she fingered the necklace around her neck. A simple dog tag hung from the chain with a cherry blossom on one side and the Uchiha fan on the other.

"OKAY! Enough of that!" The blond, Tenten remembered Sasuke mentioning that her name was Ino, interrupted. She then turned to Tenten.

"Hey Tenten-senpai! I'm Yamanaka Ino!" Tenten smiled.

"Hey Ino, don't call me that. Tenten would do." The blond grinned.

"Okay! Let me introduce you to the others." She then proceeded dragging her towards the rest of the gang. Tenten noted that Shikamaru and Temari were now sitting with the red head and brunette with make up.

"This is Akimichi Chouji-kun." She started, pointing to the boy eating chips. "He loves to eat a lot. The boy with the dog is Inuzuka Kiba-kun and the kid with sunglasses is Aburame Shino-kun. Sabaku no Gaara-kun - the red head - and Sabaku no Kankuro-san - the one with purple make up - are Temari-san's younger brothers. And you already know Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, Temari-san, Shikamaru-kun and Sakura-chan." Tenten grinned at her new friends.

"Hey guys! It's great to meet what makes Neji's and Hinata's social life a blast." She said jokingly. Everyone chuckled and/or smirked. Who knew the stoic Hyuuga had such an awesome best friend?

"That hurt, Ten." A sarcastic voice said from behind her. She turned around and found Neji smirking with his arms crossed. Hinata was giggling beside him. Tenten grinned.

"I only speak the truth, Neji." The Hyuuga rolled his eyes.

"And yet, even that wasn't the truth." She giggled. "Come on. Somebody wants to see you." The Chinese girl stopped giggling, curiosity evident in her brown eyes.

"Really? Who? Please don't say it's a fan boy." Neji just smirked as a familiar childish voice spoke up.

"Do I really look like a fan boy to you, nee-chan?" Tenten's eyes lit up with excitement as Hyuuga Hanabi emerged from behind her two relatives. Tenten ran forward and hugged her almost-cousin.

"Hanabi-chan!! How's my favorite prankster doing?" Hanabi grinned.

"Awesome as always." Both laughed at that. The other two Hyuugas smiled at the site. Sadly, their time was interrupted.

"Uh-oh. Guys, slut brigade at two o' clock." Ino said, making everyone stare that way. Sure enough, five girls in tight blouses and skirts that were way off the dress code came strutting their way. Tenten was surprised to see a familiar face among them.

"Holy burning bananas. Is- Is that Yuki!?" She said, gaining the attention of one of the girls. Immediately, the girl screeched.

"You!? What are you doing here?" She asked. The fan girl had light blue hair and silver eyes much like the Hyuugas, and was one of Neji's most loyal fan girls. She used to study on the same school Neji, Tenten and Hinata did before they moved to this one.

"I could ask you the same question." Tenten retorted.

"I transferred here a year ago." Tenten raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" Yuki nodded smugly. "No wonder I felt like I was forgetting something during my whole junior year." She mumbled thoughtfuly. Neji's lips could be seen quirking upwards at her statement. Yuki fumed.

"Uh! How _dare_ you!" She said in a high-pitched voice. "Just don't get in my way again! _I'm _the one who Neji-kun will spend his life with, not you!" Tenten didn't frown. She was even trying to hold back a smug smile as she retorted.

"Frankly, hun, I think the reason Neji transferred was to get away from you. He just didn't count on the fact that you'd follow like an idiotic puppy." Yuki made another insulted noise as Neji chuckled.

"Well-- You followed him too! See?! How do I know that _you're _not the idiot puppy?" The girl in question was about to retort again when Neji slung an arm around her shoulder and beat her to it.

"Actually, there's a big difference. I rather enjoy this puppy's company." He said, smirking. Tenten pouted.

"What? Is that all I am to you? A puppy?" He chuckled at her face.

"Hey, I'm only using your example. Although, with that pout, you're starting to look like one." She pouted some more, which caused him to chuckle again. "Well, I have to admit. You're cute like a puppy." Tenten playfully rolled her eyes.

"Flattering will get you nowhere, Hyuuga."

"It's not so much flattering as the truth." Everyone who wasn't used to their playful banter found their jaws dropping. Hinata giggled at the sight before her as Hanabi smirked. Yuki fumed as the girl she envied grinned, pink grazing her cheeks. Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore, Yuki let out a frustrated groan.

"Argh! You haven't seen the last of me, bitch!" She told Tenten before storming off. The rest of the fan girls trailed after her, but not before giving a wink to their respective guy. The boys just rolled their eyes and recoiled in disgust. Tenten smirked.

"Later Yuki! It was my greatest displeasure seeing your face again!" Tenten said, waving to her. She said it with so much cheer in her voice that it wouldn't even register as an insult if it wasn't for her words. Yuki made an insulted sound and, along with the rest of the fan girls, strutted out of the gang's sight. Once they were nowhere to be seen, Neji smirked and let go of Tenten as she and the rest of the girls laughed.

"Oh my god! Tenten! You go girl!! That slut had it coming!!" Temari said after her laughs subsided. Ino nodded furiously.

"Yeah! How did you know how to piss that girl off!?" Tenten grinned.

"I've known her for about three years. And it helps when you already have a hundred ways on how to piss your best friend's fan girls off." Temari's eyes lit up.

"I so need that." At this, Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. She noticed this and rolled her eyes at him. "Do you know how hard it is to keep your fan girls from mauling you!? Frankly, I'm getting tired of getting mad at least once a day." He smirked at this.

"At least I know you actually care for me, 'Mari. That, or you're jealous when they try to catch my attention." Temari blushed a bit at that last part.

"Am not! And stop calling me that!" Shikamaru chuckled at her embarrassed face.

"Whatever, troublesome woman. You and your troublesome excuses." She only blushed more. Tenten grinned as she looked at the faces of her new friends.

_Friends..._

She just hopes it'll be different from the last time she trusted anyone besides Neji and Hinata. After all, her biggest secret got out because of that.

"Tenten.." The girl looked up to see her best friend gazing at her. Neji had covered her fisted hand with his. She didn't even notice that she clenched it. His eyes showed concern, as if knowing what was running through her mind. She saw Hinata glancing worriedly at her as well. She smiled reassuringly at them.

"I'm fine, Neji, Hina. Really I am." She told them. She then faced the rest of the gang who, thankfully, didn't notice the silent exchange between the three. Tenten grinned.

"So, what'll we be doing for the rest of lunch period?"

**Chapter 2 - End**

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**Be honest with me, does it suck? Anyway, please REVIEW!! See the purple button down there? Cleeek eeet!!**


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